Baldwin the Merciful's: Razor Coast (Inactive)

Game Master baldwin the merciful

Astrianna agrees they should remain on course. She looks to the priestess. "Chell, if you have anything that could give us a burst of speed, now is the time. If we can pull ahead of this ship we won't have to worry about it."

"If it looks like it intends trouble, I could swim out under it and pry open a board, causing it to spring a serious leak without their ever seeing me. That should slow them down and give us time to get away without conflict."

"Trust me, if I could I would," Chell answers without looking away from the sails in the distance. She hoped it was a passing ship. They did not need another obstacle.

Still same day or a new day?

Bri it's the same day.

A call from the crows nest breaks the rhythm of work, "SHE'S A MERCHANT SHIP!"

The Captain nods.

The Captain approaches Chell, "We have a couple days before we get back to Port Shaw, if you can divine some help for what the city faces, that could be helpful."

Chell I'm trying to push this forward with some guidance.

Can't do that until tomorrow. Need to change spells for Divination. And the last time she got a vision it was while asleep. Unless she can just pray she can't do anything yet.

The rest of the day and night goes by without incident as the the crew works hard to get the ship back to port.

It the next morning and everyone was able to rest.

Fixing up my spells for the new day then. Next level I swear I'm getting something suitable for underwater combat.

The merchant ship is no longer visible in the morning. The breeze is favorable and you are making good time.

What are you going to do? You have time to recoup spells.

In the morning, Chell opens her eyes and sighs in relief. No fighting, no fire, and no silence. All good signs. So that meant she could get right down to business. First was using the small room her female companions used to wash up. She then donned a fresh set of clothing and her armor on top of that. Then came the various magic items they had acquired over their very hectic career. Then came prayer. This prayer though carried right over into the first spell of the day. She accepted her god's grace and used some of that power to hold onto the connection, willing a question down the line.

"I need not describe how urgent the situation is. You all that transpires on the seas and you know the evil that occupies it. We are attempting to combat one of those evils. So I ask for your guidance. What is it we need to do to stop, or save," she added hopefully, "Dalang, Chosen of Dajobas, from wrecking havoc on Port Shaw?"

79% chance of getting a correct answer. I'll know if something goes wrong with it. If so I can cast again. I'll deduct the 25gp for it.

Don't have anything to help here unless I can haste the whole ship. Same here Bri, there has to be some kind of damage spell in the bard list Astri could use underwater

Astrianna is tired, and worst of all, running low on coffee. The day and the sea drag on.

Godly Answer: 1d100 ⇒ 55

Let me get back to on that one. The inspirational voice in the priestess's head and heart responds.

I actually need to think about the response a bit and see what options are ahead. I want to make sure have all the "items/clues" to bring the first arc to an conclusion. The way the book material is laid out makes it very sandboxy with multiple ways around.

Sargas spends his time amongst the crew, working on keeping spirits high and watching for signs of trouble.

Chell as you pray Quell starts to reveal images to you.

Oh jeez

Chell gasps and rolls backward onto the floor. She has enough wherewithal not to slam her head on the floor but she remains laying down, breathing hard. She was expecting a cryptic rhyme not...that. Was this worse than they thought? Chell rolls over and hops off the ground. She nearly sprints to the captains quarters, grabbing however she can on the way. "Jenkie and Captain Lester found the Jawbone but weresharks got them. And then Jalia stole it and now its at Sam's for some reason. Quell was very specific."

Sargas rubs at his jaw.

"Do you know how to find this Sam's place? Looks like we should pay it a visit."

Guys?

Astrianna is busy weighing out her coffee grounds on a scale in the officer's Quarters when Chell bursts in. "I take it you figured something out?"

The bard groans when Chell reveals the sequence of events that took place in their absence. "Jenkie and Lester should have waited on us. Port Shaw doesn't need heroes, it needs professionals." She leans forward in her chair and wraps her hands together. "Jalia stealing the Jawbone is no surprise, she will steal anything just for the thrill. Why Sam though? Ugh. It could have been anyone else."

She briefly rubs her temples. "Hawke, Sagacious Sam is the most powerful wizard in Port Shaw, and he knows it. He will not be giving up the Jawbone simply because we asked, if he even has it."

Emerlad eyes turn to Chell. "Is there any way you can divine the exact location of the Jawbone now that you know its approximate location? Embrianna and I could easily distract Sam while Sorrin slips in unseen to steal back the Jawbone."

"I would have to be close, at least within the store, and even then I don't know if it would work. You have to visualize what is you want and I've never seen it. Name alone might not be enough." She grows quiet as she mulls over the possibilities but then looks up, Astraianna's words finally all settling in. "Wait, steal? We can't do that. With the guard compromised by the Kraken, if we're caught we're..." She trails off as she remembers the bar and the vats of acid. She looks down at the ring that once belonged to a powerful and faithful individual. "I don't want anyone to end up like that. I believe some drastic measures may have to be taken but as you said, he's the most powerful wizard in Port Shaw. Can we really steal it without him noticing? We have a lot of money and we know where the Razor's Edge is. We could easily make a deal. Right?"

Some laughter and cheers can be heard on deck. The crew hoots loudly as a pod of porpoise surround ship. They stay close for a couple of hours.

The Captain continues to encourage the crew to get more speed and a tight line towards Port Shaw.

"Just because we have money, doesn't mean he'll be willing to sell. We can try every nice and legal option first, but we may have to resort to something a little less than savory."

Sargas listens with his arms crossed, not knowing the people being discussed and thus willing to accept any plan proposed by those who do.

Astrianna drums her fingers across the top of the table. "Perhaps steal is a strong word, though it's not Sam's to begin with. Reclaim? It only has worth to the Tulita, so I assume we'll be giving it back to the elders in exchange for some favors. Not even Hargrove cares about the Jawbone any more, or so said the Commandant." Her head cocks to the side. "Chell didn't you see the Jawbone in your vision? You should know what it looks like?"

The bard waves her hand. "I suppose it doesn't matter, we don't even know if Sam has it still, but we'll assume he does. However, there is no way Sam was not aware of Jalia entering his shop. The whole place must be bristling with magical alarms and traps. She must be working with him." Her hands slide across the table, palm down. "Which raises the question, who is Sam working for? Himself, if you ask me, while paying lip service to the Dragoons. He's in it for profit and thinks he can sell the Jawbone to someone like us, or the Tulita."

The half-elf leans back in her chair. "You all can try to be cordial about this, but Sam is an a&*%!%+. Unfortunately an extremely powerful one. I would suggest tracking down Jalia and speaking with her, but she can't be trusted. Don't bother." The bard pauses for a moment. "I know her type. Do not trust her. Plus, she stole some of my potions in the middle of the Quell Chapter-house. Right from my bandolier, the b%*@!!" Astrianna glowers at the wall for several moments.

Though this was a great moment to poke Astrianna a bit, the seriousness of the situation was too great. "I hope the vision is enough. I still need to be close. But even after we get it, who knows how it will help. We're pushing the time limit here. I ordered a special item that might aid in negotiations now. I still owe money on it but it will be of great help to the Tulita."

I'm going to fast forward a bit bringing you into port. So if speka up now if there is anything else you were planning to do on ship BEFORE entering Post Shaw.

Time is now a huge factor and I'm going to start track it by the hour to keep the pressure on.

The crew has worked tirelessly to race back to the harbor. The owners of the ship gather on the quarterdeck it's three bells (3:00 am) the moon is nearly full and there's a fuzzy pinkish glow surrounding it. You each know this is the fateful day and evening of destiny. The lookout interrupts the calm, "PORT SHAW HO!"

You realize you are 30 minutes out from the docks, and by the calendar this is first day of full moon.

"I would have to be close, at least within the store, and even then I don't know if it would work. You have to visualize what is you want and I've never seen it. Name alone might not be enough."

Quell provided you the image of both the Jawbone and the handbag Jalia was carrying. You figure the handbag is a magical purse. You would be able to visualize both items.

Always keep a full complement of crew on ship. Rotate shore-leave. Replenish supplies.

Find Roland he'll have men for guard duty.

Having addressed senior crewman, Sorrin is suddenly self conscious and gives the Captain a sheepish glance.

Anything happen to the Captain, and there will be hell to pay! His word is law!

Always keep a full complement of crew on ship. Rotate shore-leave. Replenish supplies.

Find Roland he'll have men for guard duty.

Having addressed senior crewman, Sorrin is suddenly self conscious and gives the Captain a sheepish glance.

Anything happen to the Captain, and there will be hell to pay! His word is law!

Happy you are back. Good to see a post.

Once Chell or Astri mentioned Capt Lester and Jenkie the Capt's demeanor turns bitter. He pulls the owners aside, "If you can find Jenkie," he pauses, "...but not at the expense of retrieving the Jawbone. That relic appears to be the key, everyone looking for it, some killing for it, and others risking their lives for it." He chokes back a bit of emotion. "They said don't kill him just nibble, so he's not dead someone will be using him for a purpose. We just don't know the purpose yet."

Chell places a hand on Donovan's shoulder, her eyes showing both compassion and determination. "We'll find him," she says with conviction. She turns to the others, "Well, let's go visit Sam. If need be I have prepared a finding spell twice for today. They have decent range but don't last very long."

Are we splitting up to cover ground, or staying together?

Are we recruiting more crew?

Good to be back, was always reading. I know one can always find something to post, but didn't want to detract from the story arc. If I missed a queue to post, forgive me.

"I think we should stay together for now. We don't want to make it easy for anyone to pick us off one by one. Plus, we have no idea how cooperative Sam will be."

Astrianna is busy preening herself in the officer quarters while strategy is discussed. A cool ball of white light hovers over her head as she uses a hand mirror and various beauty implements on her olive skin. "The higher ups of Dajoba seem to understand the effectiveness of converting prisoners rather than eating them. We'll find Jenkie. Hopefully they won't be holding him hostage to use against us."

The bard places a vibrant green Dontorian's special hat on her head which she purchased over a week ago. After we take care of this wereshark business, I'm going to get one of the 100 platinum hats! I'll have them put the BIGGEST feather they can find in it...

Settled and smelling of lavender, the magically cleaned and pampered half-elf looks ready for a combat-themed ball in her armor. "This will make a fine tale when we save all of Port Shaw from the Kiss. Ah, they were talking about us before, but after this... Even Bethany Razor will want an audience with us, no doubt." Astrianna stares dreamily off into the distance for a moment.

With a sigh and a pout, she makes a half-hearted gesture of acceptance at the plan to talk and potentially barter for the Jawbone. "All right, all right... I'll talk him into giving it up or trading it somehow. It's not magical, he can't be that interested in keeping it. Chell, when we enter the shop could you make sure it's even there?"

She clicks her tongue and thinks of how to get the Jawbone out of Sam without hurting their pockets. "I might be able to get it out of him for free, if I can convince him he doesn't want it... Whatever you do, if you know I'm lying don't say anything. I might spin a tall tale about what happens if the Jawbone is out of Tulita hands for too long." She addresses the rest, obviously still considering some kind of underhanded, if "legal", tactic.

Chell nods as Astrianna gives them a rundown of the plan. This was her element anyway. Best let the master take the lead. Before they even get to the shop assuming we get there she is already casting. spell had fairly large range if you knew you were in the same location as what you were looking for. In her mind, she uses the image from the vision and wraps it in a bubble of divine energy. Se pulls it from her mind and out into the space before her. There, the divine energy moves though the image. The energy then begins to thread outward trying to reach the object of focus.

Chell which object are you focusing on? The Jawbone or the purse/

You do get docked safely and can quickly depart the ship.

Jawbone. If that doesn't work she has prepared locate object twice so she can look for the purse too.

Time: Four bells (4:00 am)

The early morning activity on the docks is starting to pick up. The port seems less busy or active than when you left just a few days ago. There are a few whispers as you walk the docks. It's clear that your ship is known. Where are you heading first. Note the time above.

Well if its that early then Sam's is probably not open but I can still check to see if it is there. I checked the map of Shaw and it turns out Long Range encompasses almost the entire city.

Nice! So one cast of the spell for the Jawbone, the other for the bag?

Only if I can't register the Jawbone. I can still spontaneously change the other Locate Object to a cure spell.

Chell casts her spell trying to locate the Jawbone as she paces the docks. Her companions eye the laborers and thugs that seem to be milling about. The dockmaster glances at the party as he and his assistant make their way to your ship. After a few moments of concentration Chell realizes she isn't getting a "ping" but this makes sense to her now. She nods knowingly that she is looking for the wrong item - the Jawbone was put into an extra-dimensional space - she needs to look for the purse. When she recasts the spell she receives the soft ping and its coming from the direction of Sam's shop.

What are you going to do?

"Well that's good I guess. Seems to be coming from Sam's. Before the spell runs out I want to be sure." She is about to leave when she notices the thugs. For once she had the confidence to actually be able to handle such a situation but it would waste time. "Mr. Hawke? Could you make sure they don't bother me?" she asks, pointing to the thuggish looking ones. She then leaves the ship, hoping the harbormaster doesn't bother her, and heads for Sam's, or wherever the ping points.

Sargas places one fist inside the palm of the other and cracks his knuckles.

"Right."

He moves toward the thugs, smiling expansively. "Gentlemen! A fine day. I'm sure you've come down to the docks looking for lacerations, contusions, broken bones that pierce the skin, crushed skulls, torn off lower jawbones, stinking gut wounds and more. If so, it's your lucky day! I'm here to provide to one and all."

Hand on the hilt of his greatsword, he grins at them.

"Whoa b'g fella, we's be 'ere to look fer work." The one snaggle toothed man answer. "Beside yous want to bash some skulls, you'd be spendin' some time in jail." He nods towards a squad of dragoons walking the wharf.

Astrianna sees the harbormaster heading towards them, and starts to scoot everyone along. "Donovan can handle our fees. We have bigger fish to catch. I would rather not wake Sam up at this hour, but we have little choice. I certainly hope he knows he HAS the Jawbone, it's possible that crazy b%@@# Jalia planted the bag in his shop. I'm hesitant to disguise myself as Hargrove or Boneduece for this to make him more willing to give it up- there is no telling what kind of magical wards he has in place. Besides, I don't have the magic to disguise you all as Dragoons."

On approaching the shop, she looks to Chell. "If you have anything that can help me convince Sam not to vaporize us, I could use it now." She eyes the rest of them. "Just play along with whatever I say and we'll walk out of here with the Jawbone."

Clearing her throat, she first waggles her fingers and casts a spell- Glibness, and then knocks on the door to Sam's shop loudly. Oh please work. I still have so much to live for- I haven't even bought that hat yet!

Should probably pick up Disguise Other in the future, or Seeming.

Chell rolls her eyes at Astrianna's, request for diplomatic support. Did the bard think she had a spell for every situation? It was all about preparation for her. It was something she had in common with Sam at least. She didn't plan any spells for manipulating people because she didn't think it necessary. "How about the truth? Sam lives here too. He might even be able to help. If he won't help for the right reasons then maybe offer first bid on any magic items we find on the Razor's Edge. Or we could offer to help find Garr's treasure that seems so intent on. Just a thought."